Senior U.S. officials are leading private conversations with the inner circle of the Cuban dictatorship, as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on the island’s regime and promotes potential scenarios for change. The dialogue, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the grandson and custodian of Cuban dictator Raúl Castro, seeks to open direct channels outside of official diplomatic channels, amidst a context marked by an energy crisis, widespread shortages, and a state system on the verge of collapse.
The rapprochement between Rubio and Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, known as “Raulito” and nicknamed “The Crab” in political circles—due to a hand deformity—has been unprecedented because it bypasses traditional channels between the two governments. According to Axios, citing three sources connected to the process, the U.S. government believes that Castro, at 94, remains the true decision-maker in Cuba.
According to a senior Trump administration official interviewed off the record by Axios, the talks are not strictly “negotiations,” but rather “discussions about the future.” The official emphasized, “Our position—the position of the U.S. government—is that the regime must go,” and acknowledged that the President “has not yet decided how that will happen.” Rubio continues to maintain direct dialogue with Castro’s grandson.
